Connector devices



F. B. HARLEY Nov. 5, 1968 CONNECTOR DEVICES Original Filed Feb. 15, 1965INVENTOR FRANK B. HARLEY ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflice 3,408,702CONNECTOR DEVICES Frank Bernard Harley, Egham, England, assignor' toHarley Patents (International) Limited, Egham, England i Originalapplication Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,784, now Patent No. 3,335,468,dated Aug. 15, 1967. Divided and this application Junel, 1967, Ser. No.642,805 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 24, 1964,7,617/64 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-128) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE,This'invention provides a connector device by means of which'a cord,rope, chain, wire or the like may be simply connected to another partand the specification specifically discloses two constructions each ofwhich comprises a flat plate having a relatively flat abutment supportconnected to it for movementbe tween normal and displaced positions, theabutment support having in it a slot, and the plate a hole, the slot andhole only partially overlying one another so that by insertion of, forexample, a knot on a cord upwards through the aperture with the abutmentsupport in the displaced po sition the run'of the cord can then be silddown the slot v.

of the abutment support whereafter the abutment support can return tothe normal position atwhich time the knot is prevented from passingback' through the slot'and' hence prevented from passing back throughthe aperture. p

This application is a division of'my prior application Serial No.432,784 filed February 15, 1965, now US. Patent No. 3,335,468. Thisinvention relates to connector devices suitable for connecting toanother object a part such as a cord, rope, chain, wire or the likehaving an abutment thereon. The object of the invention is to providesuch a construction of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature havinga minimum of moving parts. I v

According to one aspect of the present invention a connector devicecomprises a generally flat body affording first and second oppositefaces, a first abutment on said body by means of which it may beattached to another object, an aperture in said body spaced from saidfirst abutment and extending through the body between the first andsecond faces, an abutment support for a second abutment which abutmentsupport is adapted to lie, in a normal position, substantially fiat uponthe said second face of the body, co-operating interconnecting meansformed on the body and abutment support respectively, saidinterconnecting means being arranged normally to prevent completeseparation of the body and abutment support but permitting relativemovement thereof to a relatively displaced position, said abutmentsupport affording a slot which in the said normal position partiallyoverlies the aperture in the body, the slot in the displaced positionbeing spaced from the aperture to permit an abutment on another part tobe passed through the aperture from the first face of the body andco-operatively engaged with the margins of the slot remote from the bodywhereby the abutment is prevented from passing back through the apertureWhen the body and abutment support are returned to the normal position.

Specifically the invention provides a connector device comprising agenerally flat body affording first and second opposite faces, a firstabutment on said body by means of which it may be attached to anotherobject, an aperture in said body spaced from said first abutment nectedto a nylon cord, and

Patented Nov. 5, 1968 and extending through the body between the firstand second faces, an abutment support for a secondaliu'tment whichabutment support is adapted to lie in a normal position, substantiallyflat upon the 'said second face of the body, co-operatinginterconnectingmeans formed on the body and abutment support"'respectiyely, said interconnecting means being arranged normally toprevent complete separation of the body and abutment support butpermitting relative movement thereof to a relatively displaced position,the said abutment support having a slot extendingfromian ed'ge regionthereof, which edge region does not overlie the saidapertu're'in thesaid'normal position of the abutment support, but the slot havinga'portioil thereof which does soloverlie said aperture in saidnormalposition in order thatlanother part may be'jinserted through theaperture from the first face of the body when said abutment support andbody are in their'relatively displ'acedposition and thereafter slid intosaid portion of the slot, and after the return of the said abutmentstipport'and body'to said normalposition and abutment on said other partwhich has at least one dimension greater than the width of said portionwill be prevented from passing. back through said aperture. p

The invention may be carried-into practice in a number of ways butseveral specific embodiments will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings in which: I

FIGURE 1 shows a device for connecting a cord, rope, chain or the liketo another part in this case con- FIGURE 2 shows a modified device.

FIGURE 1 illustrates an embodiment in which a knotted cord 60 (or acable or chain or the like) can be simply connected to a plate 61. Inthis case the plate 61 has in it a generally pear-shaped opening 62overlying which is a U-shaped retaining member 63. I The retainingmember 63 has a projecting portion 68 which extends through a slot 69 inthe plate 61. The projecting portion 68 is provided with turned backlugs on the reverse side of the plate 61 to prevent the re tainingmember 63 being detached. In practice the slot 69 is long enough toenable the retaining member 63 to be released by turning through atwhich time the lugs 80 can pass up through the plate 61. This isnormally prevented, however, by a retainer hook 82 which partiallyoverlies and extends into the slot 69 and which is secured to the plate61 by a screw 83. However, the retainer hook 82 permits considerablefreedom of movement of the retaining member 63 so that it can be hingedupwards from the plane of FIGURE 1 and it can also be twisted slightlyif desired.

The retaining member 62 alfords a slot 65 which overlies part of thenarrow end of the pear-shaped opening 62 in the plate 61. The slot 65however, is of limited length so that a tension in the cord 60 causesits knot 66 to bear on the sides of the retaining member 63 in turncausing this to bear on the surface of the plate 61. Accordingly in thisembodiment the cord is secured to the plate 61 by lifting the retainingmember 63 by means of upturned finger pleces 67 until the knot 66 can bepassed through the wide end of the pear-shaped opening 62 and thenslipped over the top of the retaining member 63 to the position shown.The upward and downward movement of the retaining member is permitted bythe ppening 70, In this embodiment therefore the cord 75 with its knot76 is passed through the opening 70 Whilst the retaining member 71 israised. The knot is then brought over the top of the retaining member 71and the run of the cord slipped down the slot 72 until the knot overliesthe short arm 74. Thereafter a tension in the cord 75 will maintain theretaining member 71 flat against the plate 61 and prevent release of thecord.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:V

1. A connector device comprising a generally fiat plate affording firstand second opposite faces, a first abutment on said plate by means ofwhich it may be attached to another object, an aperture in said platespaced from said first abutment and extending through the platebetweenthe first and second faces, an abutment support fora second abutment,co-operating interconnecting means formed on the plate and abutmentsupport respectively, said interocnnecting means being arranged normallyto prevent complete separation of the plate and abutment support butpermitting relative movement in a plurality of planes to a relativelydisplaced position, said abutment support lying, when in a normalposition, substantially flat upon the second face of the plate and beingsupportedthereby between said connecting means and said aperture, andaffording a slot which in the said normal position partially overliesthe aperture in the plate, the slot in the displaced position beingspaced from the aperture to permit an abutment on another part to bepassed through the aperture from the first face of the plate andco-operatively engaged with the margins of the slot remote from theplate whereby the abutment is prevented from' passing back through theaperture when the plate and abutment support are returned to the normalposition.

2. A connector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aperture isgenerally pear-shaped in order to afford a wide end and a narrow end andthe slot overlies only the narrow end of the aperture when the abutmentsupport is in the normal position.

3. A connector device as claimed in claim 1 in which the abutmentsupport comprises a substantially flat member arranged in the saidnormal position to lie fiat on said plate, said flat member having atleast one offset portion to afford a lifting shoulder.

4. A connector device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the said flat memberhas a pair of offset portions to afford two lifting shoulders one beingsituated on each side of the slot.

5. A connector device comprising a generally flat plate affording firstand second opposite faces, a first abutment on said plate by means ofwhich it may be attached to another object, an aperture in said platespaced from said first abutment and extending through the plate betweenthe first and second faces, an abutment support for a second abutment,co-operating interconnecting means formed on the plate and abutmentsupport respectively, said interconnecting means being arranged normallyto prevent complete separation of the plate and abutment support butpermitting relative movement thereof in a plurality of planes to arelatively displaced position, said abutment support lying, when in anormal position, substantially flat upon the second face of the plateand being supported thereby between said connecting means and saidaperture, and having a slot extending from an edge region thereof, whichedge region does not overlie the said aperture in the said normalposition of the abutmentsupport, but the slot having a portion thereofwhich does so overlie said aperture in said'normal position in orderthat "another part may be inserted through the aperture from the firstface of the plate when said abutment support and plate are in theirrelatively displaced position and thereatfer slid into said portion ofthe slot, and after the return of the said abutment support and plate tosaid normal position an abutment on said other part which has atleast'one dimension greater than the width of said portion will beprevented from passing back through said aperture.

6. A connector device as claimed in claim 5 in which said edge region ofthe slot lies closer to the said interconnecting means than the aperturewheh'said abutment support is in its normal position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 266,587. 10/1882 Eastburn24-128.1 395,742 1/1889 Conkey 24-116 404,615 6/1889 Giroux 24-1 161,107,126 8/1914 Wilson 24223 X 1,322,747 11/1919 Axe 24-l 16 X1,373,349 3/1921 Pcardon 24116.1 2,624,086 1/1953 Schaefer 24123.l

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

